The Hiten Mitsurugi Style
by cosmiccastway
Summary: The smell of blood lasts for an eternity.
1. The Book Was the Key

The book was the key. Aoshi knew that that book would hold the secret to that attack. There was only one problem, the book was with Himura. Oh well, it would be easy enough to get it.  
  
"Ma'am there is a man outside. He says that he wants to speak with you."  
"Is it about the library?"  
"I think so."  
"Not another one! Tell him I'm busy."  
"I tried; he kept saying that he wanted to speak with you. Ma'am, he is different from the others, he asked for you by your first name."  
"Send him in."  
"He's already inside." Haru did not like it one bit. A strange man asking for her by name and already in her secretary's office; no, this did not feel right at all.  
"Thank you for seeing me Miss Himura." Haru definitely did not like him. He had come in so quietly and so quickly, she had heard him, but if she hadn't been trained he would have scared her. But what made her the most uncomfortable was that his hands smelled of blood.  
"I am afraid my secretary did not tell me your name."  
"Forgive me, I am Shinomori Aoshi," he bowed deeply.  
"Why are you here Mr. Shinomori? Is it about the library?"  
"Not quiet, it is about a book that you have in your possession."  
"I have a great many books in my possession."  
"I want the one that men would kill to get their hands one, The Hiten Mitsurugi Style by Himura Aki."  
"I have no idea what you are talking about."  
"Oh but I think you do." 


	2. Unnerving

It was insane and Haru knew it. Why she had even consented to Mr. Shinomori's meeting her at her home was beyond her. She never let anyone inside, it was too risky. But there she was on a Saturday night waiting for some stranger. Well not just some stranger, she new his name, that he had killed quiet a few people, and he knew her family's style.  
"Why did I even let him talk me into this?" It was a rhetorical question, but her mind couldn't help but answer, "Because he is hot."  
Uggggggghhhhhhhh she could not believe that was the reason! How incredibly dumb! She had received proposals from so many men that she could no longer keep track. But they were only after her library or a trophy wife. That Mr. Shinomori was only after one book and he had openly stated it. It was that one book, the book was the reason that she could not sell the library, and it was also the reason why she could never marry.  
At the last thought her mind drifted over to a mental picture of Aoshi; and for the first time in her life, Haru cried at her fate.  
  
For the first time in his life Aoshi was nervous. He had no idea why, well he actually did. It was because there were very few truly fascinating people in this world and Miss Himura was among the very few. Her entire being had cried to him from the moment he stepped inside of her office. Of course that was partially due to her being stunning, but it was more than that. She had held a conversation with him the way no one had. His mother used to say that there was no one on earth who could match him, she was wrong.  
It was the fact that Miss Himura could match him that was unnerving, she had never been trained in the art of swordsmanship - how could she when her family had given it up years ago? But she was very quick on her feet and aware of her senses. In a way he wondered of she was anything like the great Himura Kenshin that his family had talked about.  
He knew a little about Miss. Himura as a person; however, he knew a great deal more about her family - probably more than she, herself, knew. So, it came to no surprise to Aoshi that she should still live in the house that had belonged to her family since before the Meji era. No, getting there was easy; it was getting out of the car that was hard. He knew that he would have to be in a room with her and control himself. When people had told him that she was beautiful, he had had no idea until seeing her. Gods he wanted to run from her and to her all at the same time!  
Haru opened the door and looked at Aoshi. Aoshi stared back at her with wonder. Both were thinking the same thing, "It's unnerving how much I love you." 


	3. Adrenaline

Adrenaline rushed through Aoshi's veins; it was his adrenaline that was the only thing keeping him from falling at the moment. It did not matter that he was currently sitting, he would have fallen anyway.  
He had been sparring with Haru for hours. The Himura's might have given up swordsmanship; however, Haru was very learned in street fighting. At first when she had asked Aoshi if he would practice with her, he had been quite confused. It was not until he remembered that her mother had been a Sagara before a Himura that he understood how she knew street fighting.  
"So how do I compare to the great Shinomori?" Haru asked playfully.  
"You are incredible!" Aoshi exclaimed through his breath. It was the truth; his head was still spinning from trying to figure out how she had convinced him to come to his home in Kyoto. Then, there was the fact that she had just beaten him up - he would never admit it to anyone - and there was no one that could do that. Well, there was only one other person, but that was why he needed the book so badly.  
Aoshi watched as she heaved a great big sigh and leaned her head on his shoulder. His entire body tensed as he realized what he had done. Quickly a blush spread across his face. The only thing saving him from complete embarrassment was that Haru had promptly fallen asleep. Realizing this, Aoshi laughed. Until he had meet Haru, he had never known someone who could fall asleep so fast. But, he also knew that she was an incredibly light sleeper: so rather than wake her, he decided to let her sleep.  
Haru's eyes jerked open as her senses were filled with the smell of blood. It was so strong that she could literally taste it. She realized that she was in the guest room at Mr. Shinomori's home where she had been staying for the past month.  
"Strange, I must have fallen asleep after sparring with Aoshi. I never fall asleep." Realizing this last fact, Haru's entire senses were put on alert. She closed her eyes listening for the intruder with a religious vigilance. With a slowness that would have tested the patience of Buddha, she reached under her pillow where she kept her sword. It was not long before she heard the foot steps, and they were outside of her room. 


	4. The Last Samurai

"Shhh. This is her, do not let her scream. The boss does not want her waking up Shinomori."  
"But, she is a woman!"  
"Shut up!" Cowards, they held swords (she could hear it) but they were just as delusional as Shinomori. The way of the sword was dead; it died with the Meiji era. Still there were those families that held on to those days before the revolution. That is why her family existed, to finally end those families. Besides, it was very rare to find people who were actually trained in the art of swordsmanship. It was impossible if one did not have the discipline. So many of her opponents did not posses discipline, or were ignorant of other techniques. Idiots, all of them. Haru never felt sorry for killing her opponents, death comes to everyone, their's was just quicker.  
They were surrounding her bed now. Before they knew what was happening, they were all dead. Haru's bed was now a pool of blood. God like speed came in handy during those types of situations. Jumping off of her bed, Haru followed the smell of blood. She knew that there she would find Aoshi.  
As she crept along the mansion floors, Haru tired to recall everything that Aoshi had told her. Apparently a man had challenged Aoshi a couple of months ago, claiming to know the Hiten Mitsurugi Style. The man had beaten Aoshi and promised that next time, Aoshi would die. But when Aoshi had described the attacks, Haru had known that there was no way that the man had been using the Hiten Mitsurugi Style. No, he was just another little boy who was playing with swords. He and Aoshi were only little boys playing samurai. Ironic, everyone thought that the Himura family had given up their samurai ways, and in the end they were the last samurai.  
Haru ran outside into the garden. She could feel the light rain splash across her face. Normally it would be here that she would lose the scent of blood; instead it remained to haunt her. It was Aoshi's blood that she smelled, and no on else's. She stopped when she came across the two figures. Aoshi was kneeling in the mud. His blood was literally splayed everywhere.  
"His opponent must be fast; it took me only a minute to get here." Haru mused. She stared intently at the other man and sized him up quickly. There was no doubt in her mind that she could out run him. Though he had the advantage over her height and weight wise; judging by his leg structure, he did not have her god like speed.  
"Now Shinomori, you will know what it is like to die at the hands of a master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style." That was Haru's cue to come in.  
"Liar!" Haru screamed from her hiding. The man turned to face her. Obviously amused that a woman of barely five feet would dare challenge him.  
"Little boys should not play with swords." Haru mocked.  
"What?"  
"Now it is time for you to know what dying by a real Hiten Mitsurugi Style master is like. I, Himura Haru, challenge you!" The man's back straightened and his entire body froze. Though Haru could not see it, she could feel Aoshi's eyes bulge. "Do you accept my challenge or not?"  
"I accept."  
Haru raised her sword and waited for her opponent to strike. It was not even a second before he struck, and it was not even a second before Haru killed him. She looked sorrowfully at the poor man. All she had ever wanted was a good fight. When Aoshi had first told her about the attacker she had hoped that he would be worthy; but, he had failed miserably. The man had not even mastered the basic lesson of waiting for your other opponent to strike. And, she had seen it in his eyes, he had been scared to die.  
Haru turned and looked at Aoshi. A sad smile spread across her tragic face. There was no hope that he would ever marry her now. What man ever wanted a wife that could beat him? That did not matter at the moment. What mattered was that his wounds were taken care of. So Haru wiped the blood off of her sword and picked up Aoshi. She silently carried him into the mansion. 


	5. Six Months Later

~Six Months Later~  
  
"I am sorry; but, I simply could not give you the book. Only my family can posses it. In the wrong hands, who knows what someone could do? Though I highly doubt anyone would ever be able to master it with out the help of another master, it is best not to take the chance." Haru said to Aoshi over a cup of tea. She was sitting by his bed, where he currently lay still recovering from his wounds.  
"I am only ashamed that I did not realize that Genji was not using the Hiten Mitsurugi Style." They had found out the name of the attacker from the police. No one had blamed them, all things considered. But the police still could not figure out why Genji had it in for Aoshi. "Why did Himura Aki write the book in the first place?"  
"She explains that in her introduction it reads:  
To my descendents,  
The way of the samurai is dead. But there are those that cling to those days with a passion. They do not realize that the best that they could ever hope for is to become nothing but a worthless assassin. It is up to us that we might put an end to those families. I had hoped never to use the Hiten Mitsurugi Style again; but, it is unavoidable. Our family was born with blood on our hands. Never can we be purged of this blood. All that we can do is strive to lessen its stench on the world. Maybe then we can find peace. Remember, death comes to all, it is impossible to avoid. Never fear death in battle, because in the end your death means nothing to your opponent, as their death should mean nothing to you.  
Best of Luck,  
Himura Aki"  
"Wow, she doesn't seem very happy does she?"  
"If you watched your mother die if front of you and had to spend most of the time behind the walls of your home for your own safety, I highly doubt that you would really be all that happy. Still, I live by that message. Maybe because I am the only woman besides her that has ever mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi Style? Yet, everything she writes is the truth."  
"And I thought I was skilled." Aoshi retorted with a slight chuckle, "All this time I sucked."  
"No, you simply did not have the training." Haru's eyes suddenly held an impish look to them.  
"What?"  
"Nothing, I just realized that that my family has married into all of the original friends of Kenshin Himura except for the Shinomori's. It would be a nice way to end the story don't you think? All of the families finally united as one."  
Aoshi sat up quicly in bed. This action caused a great deal amount of pain; but, he barely noticed, he was in too much shock. "Are you proposing marriage?" He finally choked out.  
"No, I am simply inviting it." With that Haru kissed Aoshi's head and left. But not before she had turned and said, "Your fighting skills might suck Aoshi; but the gods know that I love you anyway." Her father had told her that she could never marry; for fear that the book would fall into corrupted hands. However, she somehow doubted that Aoshi could take the book from her - even if he did try.  
"HARU!" Aoshi cried.  
"Yes," she innocently looked back at him.  
"Would you.I mean.only if you wanted.would you marry me?" Aoshi could not even look into her eyes. It did not matter; Haru had come up to his bed and kissed him. She cradled his head into her hands and made him look at her.  
"I could think of no better way for the story to end." 


End file.
